Door closer and check



June 6, 1939. J. H. SIMMS DOOR CLOSER AND CHECK Filed Jan. 3, 1938 INYENTOR, James H. 57/77 752 ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFl'CE 2,161,101 -DOOR CLOSER AND CHECK James H. Simms, Kansas City, Mo.

Application January 3,

e 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in door closer and check and particularly to checks suitablefor use on elevator 'hatchway' door closures.

. The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a door closer and check of simple and economical structure suitable for regulating the action of'a tension door closing spring, where- 'by the door is gradually and silently closed.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a door closing and checking mechanism so arranged and constructed that all portions of the piston rod, movable to and from the oil chamber,'wil1 be constantly housed within a chamber about which is positioned the operating tensionspring.

Another object of theinvention is the provision of a door closer and check wherein the operating piston rod serves also as a valve to permit a free flow of fluid from one side of the piston to the other side thereof as the rod moves outwardly and to close the port through the piston on its inward stroke, whereby the oil is forced through a restricted by-pass to effect aslowing down of the movement of said rod.

Otherobjects are simplicity and economy of construction, efficiency of operation, and adaptability for use on door mechanisms of various constructions.

Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a door closer and check shown in' the operative position with a portion of the door closing mechanism embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal central sectional View of a door closer and check with the piston at the end of its inward stroke and shown in dotted lines at the extreme outer position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lower portion of the cylinder; and,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line IV--IV of Fig. 2.

Throughout the several views like reference characters designate similar parts and the numeral Ifl'designates a vertical wall structure to which are securely attached spaced apart bearings I2 and 14. An operating bar I6 is pivotally attached at l8 to bearing l2 and is adapted to oscillate upwardly from the horizontal position shown as the elevator door (not shown) is opened and to move downwardly to the horizontal position as the door is being closed. I

' The elevator door is opened by force exerted by the operator and closed by the action of a spring energized'by the opening of the door as herein- 1938, Serial No. 183,011

after described. Other door operating means i only said spring as the closing force. Bar 16 is provided with a depending boss 2|] to which the operating piston rod 22 of the door closer and check 24, is pivotally attached, while the cylinder 26 thereof is attached by pivot pin 28 to bearing l l.

The cylinder 26 of door closer and check 24 is preferably made of two sections 30 and 32 joined together by bolts 34 for convenience of manufacture and assembly. The cylinder section 30 is bored longitudinally to present a snug working fit for the piston 36 carried by rod 22. The piston 36 is recessed at 38' and provided with an axially disposed port hole 49 through which the checking fluid 42 flows as the door is being opened. A pin 44' diametrically positioned in piston 36 passes through an elongated hole 46 formedin the end of rod 22.

It will be observed that normally the end of the piston rod rests on the offset surface 48 at the bottom of recess 38 and completely closes porthole 40 thereby precluding the flow of checking fluid therethrough. This condition however, does not occur when the piston rod is moving the piston on its out stroke, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, when the end of the piston rod is moved away from the port opening 40 so that said fluid may readily pass therethrough to permit rapid outward movement of the piston, thus facilitating rapid manual opening of the door. The section 32 of the cylinder is bored in alignment withthe inner section 30, and the walls thereof are fluted or grooved to permit a free passage of fluid from one end of the piston to the other end thereof as the same is reciprocated. A conveniently located filler tube 50 with plug closure 52 makes it possible to fill the cylinder chamber to the proper depth without interfering with any of the adjusted parts of the device.

A means suitable for regulating the speed of travel of the piston on its inward stroke through cylinder section 30, consists of a by-pass 54 which is controlled by means of an adjustable screw 56. The inner end of cylinder section 30'is provided with an annular recess 58 thereby maintaining a body of oil for feeding through said by-pass. It will be noted that by-pass 54 extends upwardly to the joint between the two cylinder members and may communicate with the cylinder chamber through opening 60,

Theouter end-portion 32 of the cylinder is provided with an extension 62 having a recess 64 extending inwardly from the outer end thereof and being externally threaded to receive the cap member 66, which together with recess 64, forms an elongated chamber 68. The outer end of the cap 66 is bored at it to receive the piston rod 22 and has a breather opening 72 at its'outer end. Intermediate chamber 65 and the cylinder chamber is a chamber M which communicates with the cylinder chamber through opening 76 and with chamber 68 through opening 78. To prevent a direct flow of fluid through opening '16 to opening 13, an annular baffle ring 8!} is formed to encircle the piston rod 22 and be spaced apart therefrom a suflicient distance to permit a distributed flow of said discharged fluid about said shaft. Should any of the checking fluid Q2 reach chamber 613, it will be caught in recess 65 and drain back into the cylinder chamber through opening 78, chamber i l and opening it.

By referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the chamber t8 encircles the piston rod 22 and is of a length greater than the length of stroke of the piston rod thereby making it impossible for any portion of the piston rod that enters the piston chamber to ever extend beyond the outer extremity of cap 66. This feature of always covering the oil covered portion of the piston rod eliminates the objectional collection of dust, etc.

The inner end of cap 66 is provided with diametrically opposed ears 82 and 84, provided respectively with transverse openings 86 and 88 through which the end portion of a helical spring 99 is threaded and secured by set screw 92. The outer end of spring 99 conical in shape, fits over a sleeve 94 having a conical shoulder 96. This sleeve 94 is secured to the piston rod 22 by means of pin 98 so that the spring is always under tension. When the piston rod is moved outwardly the spring 96 will be further extended, thereby insuring suflicient power to move the piston to its innermost position and move the door operating bar to the closing position.

The outer end of the piston rod is provided with a hole I90 through which a pin Hi2 passes to secure the piston rod to the ear 26.

Due to the constant tension of the spring 90, the screw threaded joint between cap 66 and the upper cylinder member 38, will be secured against accidental movement. The tension of spring 90 might be varied by adjusting the screw threaded cap on the threaded cylinder member. 7

It is very essential to this invention that the piston rod be constantly urged inwardly, however, it is very apparent that the spring action might be exerted against said piston rod regardless of its specific position relative to the door closing mechanism.

It is very evident that applicant has shown and described a very simple structure that will operate to permit an easy opening of the door and will automatically retard the closing operation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A door closer and check comprising a cylinder; a piston rod extending into said cylinder and having a tubular piston carried thereby for limited longitudinal movement thereto, said rod being positioned to close the opening through said tubular piston on its inward stroke and to be positioned away from said opening on the outward stroke to permit the flow of fluid through said tubular piston; a bypass adjustable to regulate the rate of flow of a fluid in said cylinder from one side to the other side of said piston as the piston is moved inwardly; and a tension spring joining together said rod and cylinder whereby said piston and rod are normally maintained at the end of this inward stroke.

2. A door closer and check comprising a cylinder; a piston rod extending into said cylinder and having a tubular piston carried thereby for limited longitudinal movement thereto, said rod being positioned to close the opening through said tubular piston on its inward stroke and to be positioned away from said opening on the outward stroke; a by-pass adjustable to regulate the rate of flow of a fluid in said cylinder from one side to the other side of said piston as the piston is moved inwardly, a tension spring joining together said rod and cylinder whereby said piston and rod are normally maintained at the end of its inward stroke, and a chamber surrounding the rod adjacent its outer end adapted to receive the outermost portion of the rod that has extended into said cylinder during its full reciprocation.

3. A door closer and check comprising a cylinder; a piston rod extending into said cylinder and having a tubular piston carried thereby for limited longitudinal movement thereto, said rod being positioned to close the opening through said tubular piston on its inward stroke and to be positioned away from said opening on the outward stroke; a by-pass adjustable to regulate the rate of flow of a fluid in said cylinder from one side to the other side of said piston as the piston is moved inwardly; a tension spring joining together said rod and cylinder whereby said piston and rod are normally maintained at the end of its inward stroke; and a chamber surrounding the rod adjacent its outer end adapted to receive the outermost portion of the rod that has extended into said cylinder during its full reciprocation; and a chamber surrounding said rod intermediate said cylinder and said first named chamber communicating at its one end with said cylinder and at its other end with said first named chamber.

4. A door closer and check comprising a cylinder; a piston rod extending into said cylinder and having a tubular piston carried thereby for limited longitudinal movement thereon, said rod being adapted to close the opening through said tubular piston on its inward stroke and to be positioned away from said opening on its outward stroke; a by-pass adjustable to regulate the flow of a fluid from one side to the other side of said piston as it is moved inwardly during the inner portion of its stroke; and a tension spring constantly urging said piston rod inwardly whereby the door is closed.

5. A door closer and check comprising a cylinder having the inner end portion thereof of a smooth-bore to fit a cylindrical piston and its outer portion fluted to permit a free flow of fluid from one end of said piston to the other end thereof; a piston rod extending into said cylinder and having a tubular piston slidably carried thereby, said rod being adapted to close the opening through said piston during its inward stroke; a by-pass adjustable to regulate the flow of fluid from one end of said piston to the other end thereof as the piston is moved inwardly through the smooth-bored portion of the cylinder; and means constantly urging said piston rod inwardly to cause the door to be closed.

6. A door closer and check comprising a cylinder; a piston rod extending into said cylinder and having a tubular piston loosely secured thereon; a fluid by-pass formed in the wall of said cylinder through which a fluid in said cylinder is conducted from one side to the other side of said piston; a chamber surrounding said rod and communicating at one end with the cylinder and at its other end with an elongated chamber surrounding said rod, said last named chamber being of a length greater than the length of stroke of said rod and having a breather opening at its outer portion; a bafile ring in the first named chamber intermediate the ends thereof; and a tension spring secured at its one end to said rod and at its other end to a cap adjustably carried by said cylinder.

7. A door closer and check comprising a cylinder having the inner end portion thereof smooth-bored to flt a cylindrical shaped piston and its outer portion fluted to permit a free flow of fluid from one end of the piston to the other end thereof; a piston rod extending into said cylinder, and having a tubular piston slidably carried thereby, said piston rod being adapted to close the opening in said piston during its inward stroke; a by-pass adjustable to regulate the flow of fluid from one side of said piston to the other side thereof during a portion of the inward stroke of said piston rod; a chamber surrounding said piston rod and communicating at one end with said cylinder and at its other end with an elongated chamber surrounding said piston rod, said last named chamber havinga breather opening at its outer end and being of a length greater than the length of stroke of said piston rod; and a helical tension spring secured at its one end to said piston rod and at its other end to a member which is longitudinally adjustable on said cylinder member whereby a variable tension of said spring to urge said piston inwardly is obtained.

JAMES H. SIMMS. 

